M7, Seven Records, Powderworks

M7 – Seven Records – Powderworks

M7 records was setup to take advantage the radio ban of 1970. There were three separate partners in the group, Fairfax television subsidiary ATN7 in Sydney, Maquarie Broadcasting Service, and Herald and Weekly Times Limited. In July of 1970 World Broadcasting System changed its name to M7 Records Pty. Ltd. Presumably, M7 stood for Maquarie Seven. When Maquarie left the arrangement, it became Seven Records.

Allan Crawford was the first general manager, he was succeed by Ron Hurst from 1972 to 1975. In 1973 Ken Harding joined the company, and in 1978 became C.E.O.. That year he signed Midnight Oil.

The company was initially distributed by Paul Hamlyn group from 1971 to 1974 under the guise of Music for Pleasure, and Tempo from 1974 to 1976. It organised its own distribution from 1976 to 1978. The label finally went with RCA until it’s demise in June 1987.

Seven Records

The most successful overseas distribution deal was with Penny Farthing of the U.K. (from 1976 – well after Penny Farthing’s hits with Beautiful Sunday – Daniel Boone, and German group Kincade). The Seven Records label struggled on with artists like Ross Higgins and Judy Stone as tie-ins for television programmes.

Over the years the record companies were sporadically successful with people like Bob Hudson and Midnight Oil.

In 1979 they got into the popular various artists albums, but as far as I can ascertain, that venture only lasted for three albums. This was despite a last ditch effort of a prize of a gold ingot with Summer Gold.

Powderworks

In 1981 a management buyout, led by CEO Ken Harding, Allan Watson, and Tony Hogarth, resulted in Seven Records being renamed Powerderworks. In 1986 Ken Harding sold the company to J & B co-founder John Evans. He became the CEO of the Rajon group.

The Powderworks name and the company were retired in July 1987.